Range forced venting discharge system



g- 8, 1957 R. 1... BRITT 3,334,621

RANGE FORCED VENTING DISCHARGE SYSTEM Filed Sept. 9, 1965 IO 12 l 22\ 6 I u 40R P 69 J 2% s o lmLza m M a I 1 I *1 51 37 L 35 l j 2| 25 25 E 9 5in 3 i 3 [g %24 1 k4 w; 1? g s i INVENTOR. Rona Id L. BriTT B WWW? Arrorney United States Patent Oflice 3,334,621 Patented Aug. 8, 1967 3,334,621 RANGE FORCED VENTING DISCHARGE SYSTEM Ronald L. Britt, Lombard, Ill., assignor to General Electric Company, a corporation of New York Filed Sept. 9, 1965, Ser. No. 486,006 6 Claims. (Cl. 126-299) ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE A cooking appliance having a horizontal air discharge duct positioned between the cooking platform and a base support assembly. Air discharging from the duct is directed in a horizontal path by a grille disposed in the exhaust end of the duct. A pair of air deflectors coop erated with the grille, and each deflector has a plurality of vertical vanes interposed between the grille and duct. The vanes are obliquely disposed whereupon the discharging air is directed into divergent horizontal paths toward the sides of the base support assembly and away from the area adjacent the front of the cooking platform.

This invention relates to ranges, and more particularly to ranges incorporating air treatment systems for filtering and recirculating conditioned air within a kitchen by means of a forced air discharge system.

Range circulation systems have come into general use in recent years. One such system is disclosed in Lipstein, Patent No. 3,131,688, issued May 5, 1964, and assigned to my present assignee. In that system, air is directed through various passageways within the range structure, which ultimately lead toward the front of the cooking platform which is disposed below a top oven. In that design, a discharge duct below the cooking platform is adapted to direct the vented air downwardly along the front of the cabinet or other supporting structure on which the unit has been mounted. Air may not be discharged directly horizontally out of the duct, or a person standing directly in front of the cooking platform would be forced to undergo the discomfort of having air discharged directly forward or downward upon her.

In addition, it is well known in the cooking art that broiling operations in electrically heated ovens are generally, for various reasons, conducted with the oven door in an ajar position. When discharge systems which direct air downwardly are used in conjunction with a lower oven, air will be directed into the lower oven during broiling. This has been found to have adverse effects on the 'broiling cycle.

It is, accordingly, a principal object of my invention to provide a forced venting discharge system usable with a cooking platform exhaust system which provides means for recirculating the air back into the kitchen by means associated with the cooking platform, and which will provide maximum comfort to the person working around the cooking platform, and yet maintain a high discharge vent performance.

A more specific object of my invention is to achieve this goal by discharging air in the horizontal direction below the cooking platform, and by providing means which will divide the discharging air flow and direct it way from the area adjacent the front center of the cooking platform, where the person using the cooking platform generally stands.

It is yet a further object of my invention to provide, in a cooking appliance having a surface cooking platform and an oven located below the surface unit, a forced venting discharge system capable of collecting a large portion of the contaminants issuing from cooking vessels on the surface cooking units, and discharging the filtered air in a horizontal direction, and yet which will simultaneously provide maximum comfort to the person using the cooking platform while the venting system is in operation.

A further specific object of my invention is to provide an air deflector assembly for directing the discharging air flow which is so designed as to insure correct assembly of the component parts so that the correct air pattern will be obtained.

In one aspect of my invention, I provide a horizontal cooking platform mounted over a base support assembly and spaced therefrom. An air inlet duct including a filter is operatively associated with the cooking platform. A horizontal discharge duct communicates at one end with the air inlet duct, and extends forwardly in the space between the cooking platform and the base support membet to a point of discharge at the front of the unit. The air inlet duct and the discharge duct provide an exhaust system for the cooking platform. A blower is mounted in the exhaust system and moves air inwardly through the air inlet duct and discharges it through the horizontal discharge duct. The blower thus serves to forcibly vent the area above the cooking platform by removal of cooking vapors produced by surface cooking on the cooking platform. Associated with the exit end of the discharge duct is an air deflector means which has a plurality of vanes positioned to direct air in divergent horizontal paths toward the sides of the base support assembly, thereby freeing the area adjacent the front center of the cooking platform from undesirable air flow. This allows one to stand comfortably in front of the cooking platform while the venting system is in operation.

A decorative grille may be used to support the air deflector means in its operative position. In this aspect, the air deflector means is supported on a frame component which is an integral portion of the decorative grille, and the grille and air deflector means are assembled in a suitable opening in the front of the base component.

Other features and objects of the invention will be understood from the following detailed description of presently preferred embodiments thereof, read in connection with the accompanying drawings in which:

FIGURE 1 is a front view in perspective of a high double oven cooking range with a base cooking oven below the cooking platform, with portions thereof being broken away;

FIGURE 2 is an enlarged fragmentary front elevational view illustrating the vent discharge outlet of the FIGURE 1 embodiment;

FIGURE 3 is an enlarged fragmentary side sectional elevation taken on line 3-3 of FIGURE 2 showing the arrangement of the discharge outlet;

FIGURE 4 is a fragmentary plan sectional view taken on line 4-4 of FIGURE 2, illustrating details of the air deflector means only; and

FIGURE 5 is a front perspective view of a single air deflector employed in my invention.

Referring now to FIGURE 1, there is shown generally a range with a high oven I, mounted in combination with a cooking platform 2 and base or lower oven 3, and having a suitable outer cabinet 4.

The high oven 1 has doors 5 mounted by any suitable ent invention. The cooking operations on the surface units 6 and the high oven 1 may be controlled by conventional switch means (not shown). Base oven 3 is accessible through a door hinged to the cabinet at its bottom part 7 by any suitable means (not shown). The cooking operations Within the base oven are generally regulated by conventional control members such as those shown at 8 and 9.

The range structure further includes front wall means 10, which, together with outer cabinet 4, provides a relatively deep compartment 11 extending the full width of the range. Front wall may be hinged to cooking plateform 2 by any suitable means (not shown) and any suitable latch means (not shown) may be provided to releasably secure the wall 10 in a normally upright posi tion, while allowing it to be swung forwardly for access to the interior of the compartment 11. The upper portion of front wall 10 is provided with an inlet grille 12 which extends over the substantial area of front wall 10.

Within compartment 11 and substantially coextensive With inlet grille 12, is a grease filter 13 removably supported on suitable brackets, such as bracket 14, said filter may be of glass or metal fibers, or other fire-resistant materials, capable of entrapping grease particles. Also within compartment 11 is the air translation system, including a blower 15 of the familiar bladed wheel type, driven by a direct-mounted motor 16 partially housed within the inlet 17 of the blower casing, as is common practice. The blower casing has a main discharge which communicates directly with duct 18, also within compartment 11.

Also, the range structure includes wall means 20 and 21, which, with side walls 22 and 23, define a discharge duct which is in communication at its rearward end with duct 18 by means of conduit 19. Duct 24 extends forwardly below cooking surface 2, through which filtered air passing from conduit 19 may move to a point of discharge identified by the grille 25 at the front of the range.

In addition to the ventilation system just described, the introduction of ductwork into .the high oven portion of the range is desirable. However, insofar as my invention may also be used where there is no high oven range mounted over the horizontal cooking platform, reference is made once again to Lipstein, Patent No. 3,131,688, wherein a recirculating system including means for venting the high oven is fully disclosed. The ventilation system disclosed therein may be utilized in the embodimerit disclosed in FIGURE 1 herein without any modification in the structure heretofore described.

Referring now to FIGURES 2 and 3, it will be observed that front decorative grille 25 consists of a rectangular-shaped integral unit which may be made of any suitable material which will withstand the environmental conditions; in the specific embodiment introduced herein, aluminum which is first extruded and then punched to provide the longitudinal openings was found to be satisfactory.

Grille 25 includes parallel spaced upper and lower members 27 and 34 respectively, which extend horizontally beneath the cooking platform 2 for substantially the entire width thereof. Upper and lower members 27 and 34 extend inwardly and are in a telescoping relationship to wall members 20 and 21 which form the top and bottom walls of horizontal discharge duct 24.

Where upper member 27 is substantially in vertical alignment with the end of top wall 21) of duct 24, there is a sharp bend in member 27 which forms a short vertical section 28 spaced slightly inwardly with respect to the end of the wall of duct 24. This short vertical section 28 is followed immediately by an upwardly directed oblique section 29 which terminates in a horizontally directed flange 30.

The lower front side of cooking platform 2 has an inwardly turned flange portion 31, and when decorative grille 25 is inserted in the space between the cooking platform 2 and the base oven 3, the flange 30 of the upper member of grille 25 abuts the flange 31 of the cooking platform 2. The decorative grille 25 may then be secured to the cooking platform by any suitable fastening means such as self-threading screw 32.

Depending vertically from the upper member of the grille at the juncture where the horizontal flange 30 extends from the oblique section 29, is a downwardly directed flange 33. Flange 33, along with oblique section 29 and the short vertical section 28, form a guide channel in which the upper horizontal member of the deflector means, presently described, is held in a fixed position rela- .tive to the end of the discharge duct 24.

In a similar fashion, lower member 34 has a first upwardly extending flange 35 having an integral step 36 which extends toward the front of grille 25. A shoulder formed at the juncture of the step 36 and flange 35 is in substantial vertical alignment with the short vertical section 28 of upper member 27. Lower member 34 continues to the front end of grille 25 where it terminates in a second upwardly directed flange 37 which is in substantial vertical alignment with flange 33 of upper member 27. Flange 37, along with flange 35 and step 36, and the section of lower member 34 included between flanges 35 and 37, form a lower guide channel in which the lower frame member 42 of deflector 40R is inserted and held in position relative to the discharge duct 24.

To complete the structure of grille 25, a plurality of horizontally disposed fins 38 is formed on the front surface of the grille. A few vertical sections 33 serve to support fins 38 in fixed relation to the upper and lower members 27 and 34.

A preferred embodiment of the air deflector means forming the subject of my invention is illustrated in FIG- URES 4 and 5. As shown in FIGURE 4, two air deflector units, 40L and 40R, are used to divide the flow of air discharging from duct 24. In the presently preferred embodiment, deflector 40R consists of spaced parallel upper and lower rectangular members or plates, 41 and 42 respectively. Joining plates 41 and 42 together is a plurality of vertical vanes 43, obliquely disposed in respect to the longitudinal axis of plates 41 and 42. I have found that the best results in terms of both performance and comfort to the user will be obtained when the vanes 43 are disposed outwardly at an angle of from 42 to 48 relative to the center of the discharge duct, when the air deflector units are assembled in the grille.

The two deflector units 40L and 40R are identical in structure and are merely inserted in the grille in a reversed end-to-end relation to achieve the divided air flow. Thus, in FIGURE 4 the vanes 43 of deflector 40R are disposed obliquely to the right, while the vanes of deflector 40L are disposed obliquely to the left. The flow of air discharging through duct 24 will thus flow obliquely in opposite directions as it flows through the passageways formed by the vanes 43.

The deflector units are further designed to facilitate easy assembly and to insure correct air flow when the component parts are inserted in grille 25. Referring to FIGURE 5, it will be observed that upper plate 41 has a mitered corner 44 at one end thereof, while the corner of plate 42 directly below it has a matching interference protrusion 45. In addition, each deflector has a protrusion 46 (FIGURE 3) extending from one of the vanes at the end opposite that having the mitered corner.

The deflectors are designed so that they must be properly inserted in the channels formed in the grille 25, or they will extend beyond the end of the grille structure. The grille is so designed that its ends abut the base support assembly; thus if any segment of the deflector units extend beyond the end of the grille, the grille cannot be placed in the support assembly. When properly assembled, protrusions 46 of each air deflector unit extend inwardly into discharge duct 24. If the air deflector units are in proper'end-to-end relations, interference protrusions 45 will be received by mitered corners 44, thus allowing the ends of the units to abut, as seen in FIGURE 4. If one unit is properly inserted, and the other is improperly inserted, either the interference protrusion 46 will now be facing the front of the grille and will engage the vertical support 39 at the end of the grille, thus causing part of the deflector unit to extend beyond the end of the grille 25, or, the unit may have the protrusion 46 facing inwardly, and be inserted the wrong end first. In this instance, the protrusion 45 of the properly placed unit would prevent the complete insertion of the improperly placed deflector unit. The protrusion 45 of the improperly placed deflector unit would then extend past the edge of the grille. Where both deflector units are reversed in position, i.e., the left deflector unit is on the right, then the protrusions 45 of both deflector units would extend beyond the edge of the grille.

In assembling the unit, the deflectors are inserted into the guide channels formed in the upper and lower members 27 and 34 of grille 25. As seen in FIGURE 3, the upper and lower channels guide and support the upper and lower plates of the deflectors. The grille holding the deflector units is then inserted into the space between the cooking platform 2 and its base component. The upper and lower members 27 and 34 of the grille will slide in a telescoping manner over the discharge duct 24, and the deflector units will abut the edge of the duct. The grille 25 may then be fastened to the cooking platform 2.

While my preferred embodiment uses two matching deflector units, in the broader aspect of my invention, the deflector means may be made of a single unitary body having oppositely directed vanes. The deflector means may be made of any suitable material which will withstand the environmental conditions. I have found that conventional phenolic compositions are adequate.

While there has been described what is at present thought to be the preferred embodiment of the invention, it will be understood that various modifications may be made therein, and it is intended to cover in the appended claims all such modifications as fall within the true spirit and scope of my invention.

I claim as my invention:

1. A cooking appliance comprising, in combination:

(a) a base cooking oven;

(b) a horizontal cooking platform having at least one heating element on which to place a cooking vessel, said cooking platform mounted over said base cooking oven and spaced therefrom;

() means providing an air inlet duct operatively associated with said cooking platform;

(d) wall means providing a horizontal discharge duct communicating at one end thereof with said air inlet means, and extending forwardly in the space between said cooking platform and said base oven to a point of discharge at the front end thereof, said air inlet means and said discharge duct providing an exhaust system for said cooking platform;

(e) air filtering means in said air inlet duct;

(f) blower means in said exhaust system disposed and operative to move air inwardly through said air inlet means and discharge it through said horizontal discharge duct, the blower means thereby serving to forcibly vent the area above said cooking platform by removal of cooking vapors produced by surface cooking on said cooking platform;

(g) discharge grille means mounted in the space between the cooking platform and the base cooking oven at the front end thereof, said grille means communicating with the front end of said horizontal air discharge duct, said grille means including a plurality of horizontally disposed fins, and;

(h) air deflector means mounted adjacent said grille means and interposed between said grille means and said air discharge duct, said air deflector means including a plurality of vertically disposed vanes positioned to direct air in horizontal divergent paths toward the sides of said base cooking oven, thereby freeing the area adjacent the front center of said cooking platform from undesirable air flow.

2. The combination according to claim 1, wherein said grille means further includes spaced horizontal upper and lower members, flange means on the opposing inner faces of said upper and lower members forming opposed parallel guide channels on said upper and lower members; and said air deflector means includes spaced parallel upper and lower plates joined by said vertically disposed vanes, said plates being of substantially the same width as said channels, whereby said air deflector means may be slidably mounted in said grille by insertion of said upper and lower plates into said upper and lower channels.

3. The combination according to claim 1 in which said air deflector means includes a pair of identical air deflector units having spaced horizontal upper and lower plates joined by said vertical vanes, said vanes disposed obliquely transversely of the longitudinal axis of said plates; and said air deflector units are mounted in opposed end-to-end relation so that said vertically disposed vanes direct the flow of air from said discharge duct in obliquely opposite horizontal directions and toward the sides of said base oven.

4. The combination according to claim 3 in which said vertical vanes are disposed obliquely transversely at an angle between 42 and 48 relative to the center of said discharge duct when said air deflector units are assembled in said grille.

5. The combination according to claim 3 in which said air deflector units include interference means integral therewith, and said interference means are adapted to extend beyond the edge of said grille means if either of said air deflector units is improperly mounted relative to said grille means.

6. The combination according to claim 3 in which each of said air deflector units includes first and second interference protrusions integral therewith; means on each of said air deflector units which receive the first of said interference protrusions only when said first and second air deflector units are disposed in their proper end-to-end relation; and said second interference protrusions prevent the complete insertion of said air deflector units into the space between said cooking platform if either of the air deflector units is improperly mounted relative to said grille means.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,158,881 5/1939 McCormick l26--21 3,131,687 5/1964 Kalla 126299 3,131,688 5/1964 Lipstein 126299 3,205,884 9/1965 Locher 126-19 FREDERICK L. MATTESON, JR., Primary Examiner. E. G. FAVORS, Assistant Examiner. 

1. A COOKING APPLIANCE COMPRISING, IN COMBINATION: (A) A BASE COOKING OVEN; (B) A HORIZONTAL COOKING PLATFORM HAVING AT LEAST ONE HEATING ELEMENT ON WHICH TO PLACE A COOKING VESSEL, AND COOKING PLATFORM MOUNTED OVER SAID BASE COOKING OVEN AND SPACED THEREFROM; (C) MEANS PROVIDING AN AIR INLET DUCT OPERATIVELY ASSOCIATED WITH SAID COOKING PLATFORM; (D) WALL MEANS PROVIDING A HORIZONTAL DISCHARGE DUCT COMMUNICATING AT ONE END THEREOF WITH SAID AIR INLET MEANS, AND EXTENDING FORWARDLY IN THE SPACE BETWEEN SAID COOKING PLATFORM AND SAID BASE OVEN TO A POINT OF DISCHARGE AT THE FRONT END THEREOF, SAID AIR INLET MEANS AND SAID DISCHARGE DUCT PROVIDING AN EXHAUST SYSTEM FOR SAID COOKING PLATFORM; (E) AIR FILTERING MEANS IN SAID AIR INLET DUCT; (F) BLOWER MEANS IN SAID EXHAUST SYSTEM DISPOSED AND OPERATIVE TO MOVE AIR INWARDLY THROUGH SAID AIR INLET MEANS AND DISCHARGE IT THROUGH SAID HORIZONTAL DISCHARGE DUCT, THE BLOWER MEANS THEREBY SERVING TO FORCIBLY VENT THE AREA ABOVE SAID COOKING PLATFORM BY REMOVAL OF COOKING VAPORS PRODUCTED BY SURFACE COOKING ON SAID COOKING PLATFORM; (G) DISCHARGE GRILLE MEANS MOUNTED IN THE SPACE BETWEEN THE COOKING PLATFORM AND THE BASE COOKING OVEN AT THE FRONT END THEREOF, SAID GRILLE MEANS COMMUNICATING WITH THE FRONT END OF SAID HORIZONTAL AIR DISCHARGE DUCT, SAID GRILLE MEANS INCLUDING A PLURALITY OF HORIZONTALLY DISPOSED FINS, AND; (H) AIR DEFLECTOR MEANS MOUNTED ADJACENT SAID GRILLE MEANS AND INTERPOSED BETWEEN SAID GRILLE MEANS AND SAID AIR DISCHARGE DUCT, SAID AIR DEFLECTOR MEANS INCLUDING A PLURALITY OF VERTICALLY DISPOSED VANES POSITIONED TO DIRECT AIR IN HORIZONTAL DIVERGENT PATHS TOWARD THE SIDES OF SAID BASE COOKING OVEN, THEREBY FREEING THE AREA ADJACENT THE FRONT CENTER OF SAID COOKING PLATFORM FROM UNDESIRABLE AIR FLOW. 